Nothing can be more worrisome to any homeowner as some unknown problem with their heat pump. People think that all issues must be taken care of by a contractor.

As you know a heat pump system is comprised o f two basic products: the outdoor and indoor units. The outdoor unit is normally contains the compressor, its electric motor and a set of coils with a fan. The indoor unit contains a second set of coils (the evaporator), an air handler or blower as well as an emergency or secondary electric heater strip. The inside and outside units are connected by refrigerant lines.

The Ten Most Common Heat Pump Problems

Any one of the above components can develop a heat pump problem. But almost any one heat pump problem can be properly diagnosed using some basic knowledge and common sense. See the list below:

1. The outdoor unit won’t come on – This is most often an electrical issue. Check for no power, tripped breaker circuits as well as broken, burnt or frayed wires or cables on the outside unit.

2. The circuit breaker keeps tripping every time the heat pumps comes on – defective or bad breaker circuit, an electrical issue with the compressor motor or outside unit fan.

3. The outside unit seems to turn on but the fan does turn – a bad fan motor, burnt out internal electrical components inside the system.

4. The outside fan runs but the compressor won’t turn on – wiring or circuits to the compressor have gone bad, condenser coils need to be cleaned or refrigerant levels are too low.

5. The heat pump freezes or ices up – this is common problem during freezing weather, you must wait for the pump to complete it’s defrost cycle. The unit is low on refrigerant or has a dirty air filter or evaporator coil.

6. Cool air keeps blowing during winter – the is a very common heat pump problem and is caused by the fact that heat pumps work best in moderate weather climates. During prolonged periods of freezing temperatures, even the best of heat pumps will have trouble keeping a house as warm as you desire. Another issue is low refrigerant or a stuck or broken reversing valve.

7. The emergency heat does not work – Check to see if you have your thermostat settings set correctly. Next check to see if you have power to the air handler or check to see if the electric heater strips are burnt out.

8. The outdoor unit runs all the time and never shuts down – You are experiencing extremely cold weather, the system is low on refrigerant, or you have a broken thermostat.

9. The indoor fan won’t come on but the outdoor unit is working – the air blower motor has gone bad, the evaporator coils are very dirty, the air filter is clogged or you have an electrical problem in the blower.

10. The air temperature swings wildly from room to room – check the main dampers or floor vents to see if they are blocked, closed off or broken.

While the above list only shows some of most frequent heat pump problems, as you can see a good many of them can be easily fixed by the average homeowner without calling in an expensive HVAC specialist.